Beauty and the Galian Beast
by SirenMist
Summary: He lived no fairytale by any means. - Cursed with immortality in the form of the demon Chaos, Vincent's forced to bury himself away in the basement of Shinra Manor with Lucrecia's bewitchment intact. He has thirty-one years to find a woman who loves him for his demons and sins before the spell breaks and he's forced into the Lifestream, for only love can save a monster. Dark VxY
1. The Beginning of the End

**Hey, it's _another_ Yuffentine! This does not follow Beauty and the Beast like most would think. It's not the, 'There's something there that wasn't there before,' thing. It's dark and the plot is altered to better fit the original FFVII plot. It's still Beauty and the Beast, though. ;)**

**Just so you know, I made the cover art. Don't take it without crediting me. (Not that it's anything special)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Not Beauty and the Beast, not Disney - although it really has nothing to do with this other than the fact that I mentioned a song in the A/N - and I do not own FFVII.**

**Rated for some violence and possible language. I mean, come on, Hojo makes an appearance - can you say violence? - and it's a yuffentine - yuffie = language.**

* * *

**Full summary**_: He lived no fairytale by any means~ Vincent Valentine is betrayed by the woman he loves, and in a desperate attempt to save his life, she further destroys him by cursing his existence to merge with a demon through Dark-Mako. Now a hideous monster, the former Nibel Turk slinks away to the basement of his manor and hides away, waiting out his thirty-one year sentence until he can die. However, he does not count on a woman happening upon him - and he shudders at the thought that she just might break the spell, for only love can save a monster._

* * *

Storm clouds black as sin enveloped the sky, raining down thick, icy assaults of raindrops onto the unforgiving soil of Nibelheim. Lightning crackled in the distance, illuminating the dark abyss as it splintered and forked, searing the treetops and slamming into the ground, accompanied by the roaring cry of thunder that shuddered through the shadows of the storm. The static and ozone in the air hung heavily, almost a tangible fog as it drifted over the expanse of grassy fields that stretched beyond the ancient manor, its turrets crumbling with time and ivy.

Inside, a man paced the length of the castle hall, his lips grim as he held a hand to his chin and repressed a shiver at the chill in the air. He glanced up at the grandfather clock in the corner of the parlor, seeing the pendulum swing back and forth, ticking each second away. With a profound sigh, the man sat down on the settee, running his hands through his short onyx hair. He worried for her. She was a mere lady with no means of protecting herself, and she was out in that awful weather…

"Master?"

The man glanced up, finding his servant maid offering a small smile to him. She clasped his hands in hers, her blue eyes reflecting in his own rubies. "She'll be fine, Master Valentine." Another clap of thunder.

He nodded and smiled a little, replying, "Yes, thank you, Shelke… You may retire to your room if you wish."

She smiled wider and whispered, "Thank you, master. Goodnight." With that, she bowed and retreated, her brown dress swishing with the movement. The man sat back down, his hands clasped beneath his chin as he rested his elbows on his knees, imaging all sorts of horrors. As part of the elite Nibelheim guard, dubbed the Nibel Turks, he had assassinated many in weather like this. Admittedly, his occupation was something that shamed him, but he could do nothing except soldier through, even if it meant a little blood on his hands.

The master stood and attempted to calm his beating heart. Lucrecia would be home soon.

Soon turned out to be only seconds later. The large doors to the manor opened and a tall woman with warm brown eyes and long chestnut hair entered, beaming at the dark-haired man, who couldn't help but smile himself.

"Hello, Vincent dear!" she greeted, running into his open arms and pressing her lips to his soft cheek.

"I worried about you," he stated, his voice scolding but his eyes warm. She laughed lightly and ran her hands through his short silky hair.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just had some work to do at the asylum. It's all fine now, love." Outside, the tempest raged, its wind whistling through the tall black oaks.

Vincent smiled at her reply and kissed her lightly, one hand pulling her closer. She sighed into his embrace and he held her tighter, slanting his lips against hers. Just as one hand locked beneath her knees and Vincent went to lift her, the door flew open, allowing a freezing gust of wind to slither through the entryway. Pushing Lucrecia behind his body, the Turk gripped her tighter to him, his arm thrown out protectively.

A man stormed in, his hair greasy and thin and his face leathery over his bony cheeks. His eyes were narrowed behind round glasses that slid over his long nose. Downturned eyebrows jutted out from the angular face, giving the man a very sour looking appearance.

"Hojo!" Lucrecia gasped, and Vincent's brow crinkled in confusion. He dropped his arm and returned to a neutral stance, watching the scientist curiously.

"Professor Hojo, welcome. Is there something you need?" The master of the house's face softened and he motioned with his arm, turning to call his servants. Lucrecia bit her lip and tugged on Vincent's arm, pulling the appendage to her chest. Catching her wide eyed gaze, he arched one eyebrow at the distressed look on her face.

"That won't be necessary," rasped the professor as he slid his glasses up his nose and leered at the younger man. "That won't be necessary at all."

* * *

When Vincent awoke, his head throbbed like the Dickens and his body felt like lead. He gained enough strength to lift his upper half and gaze around at the musty, damp walls of what looked to be his own basement. Sobbing reached his ears, and he turned to find Lucrecia watching him from the far corner of the room.

"Lucrecia, what's going on?" he demanded, trying to sit up. His left arm wouldn't budge, making him struggle against his restraints. It appeared that he had been strapped to an operating table, and a rack of instruments sat nearby, some covered in blood. The sight alarmed Vincent. "Lucrecia, what happened?"

The sobbing reduced to whimpering, and slowly Lucrecia made her way to Vincent, her eyes unable to meet his. With a sniffle, she whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry…"

"For wha-"

The sound of the basement door slamming echoed in the dark room. A menacing cackled bounced off the walls, along with a cruel, "So the lab rat is awake, no? Hehe, very good. Very good indeed, my love. You have served me well."

Eyebrows slanting, Vincent asked, "What are you talking about?"

Hojo cackled as Lucrecia burst into tears again and turned her back to Vincent. "You mean, she didn't tell you? You see, Turk Valentine of Nibelheim, your lady here has been betraying you. She is with child – but don't begin to assume that it is yours. She's been with me, working for me this entire time in a plot to steal your great family fortune, and of course, further my experimentation. It started with her hand in the demise of your father, Grimoire. An experiment gone wrong, if you will…"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Vincent cried incredulously, turning his head toward Lucrecia as he begged, "Tell me that this is not true!"

"I'm sorry, Vincent, I'm so sorry," she breathed, her back still toward him. With hurt in his crimson eyes, Vincent lowered his head to the examination table, letting is eyes stare up at the dripping ceiling. His mouth was slightly open, a confused and pained expression etched on his face as he absorbed the information.

"It's too late for apologies, my dear," Hojo grated, amusement seeping into his tone. "You've crushed him! How splendid indeed. He'll have no will to fight against me now…"

And he didn't.

* * *

Something dug into him, tearing painfully at his flesh. With a screech, Vincent's back arched up, but a strap that ran across his body hindered the movement, making it all the more painful. The broken cry grew louder as he felt his skin open, a warm gooey liquid spilling over the tight and raw flesh. Tears leaked out of his eyes silently as he gritted his teeth against the agony of sharp blades cutting into him, poking, prodding, ripping. When the pain increased to an excruciating extent, and blood vessels burst behind his retinas, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he lay unconscious, allowing the numb void to comfort him…

* * *

Tightness in Vincent's chest made him groan, and when he attempted to sit up, a shock ran through him. In anguish, he cried out and collapsed against the table, feeling hot liquid behind his eyelids. What had they done to him? He couldn't quite tell, but he knew that it was awful, and the memory of a scalpel against his torso made him quiver. Sleep overcame him…

* * *

Light blinded him, and he felt like he was floating in some murky substance. As his red eyes adjusted, Vincent found himself in a tube-like chamber, a liquid surrounding all available space. In panic, he pushed against the glass and held his breath.

"Vincent, calm down! It's alright."

His heart immediately obeyed the voice of his love. Her eyes gazed back into his, and he yearned to hold her. Disappointment filled him when she tore her gaze from his.

"I'm sorry, Vincent. Please know that…" Once again, everything went dark…

* * *

"Lucrecia," Vincent moaned, his hair limp against his forehead with sweat. He thrashed against the table, crying out for his love as needles pierced his skin, each one like a knife in his heart. "Lucrecia, why?"

"I'm sorry, Vincent. I'm so, so sorry…"

The world faded to black…

* * *

Darkness met Vincent Valentine when he opened his crimson eyes and blinked. His chest was bound with bandages and there was a heavy feeling where his heart should have been. Testing his arm, he found it to be moveable once more. His right hand ghosted over the wrapping that covered his heart, and when he pressed lightly, a hiss of pain escaped his lips. Something was very wrong.

"Vincent." The soft melody held a bittersweet note, and when Vincent met a brown-eyed gaze, there was sadness in on Lucrecia's face.

"He… He took out your heart."

"Took out… my heart?" Vincent's face twisted as he looked down at his chest in horror, swallowing thickly. "But I'm still alive?"

She laughed darkly at that, shaking her head. "I'm such a fool. I tried to save you, Vincent – I had to do it, you must understand!"

The man blinked at her, tilting his head as he inquired slowly, "You had to do what?"

"The demons, Vincent! I needed you to live – I had to cast the spell on you!" Her giddy, frantic voice came across as insane, and Vincent watched her every move with concern.

Shaking his head, Vincent repeated, "Spell? Whatever are you talking about?"

With a sob, Lucrecia buried her head in her hands and answered, "An old spell… It was a Tome of Jenova." Vincent's eyes widened. Jenova had been an old sorcery coven founded on the principle of Dark-Mako, a magical essence of the Lifestream. At length, Lucrecia continued, "I conjured the spirit of four demons to inhabit your body – they'll give you immortality…"

"Demons?" the man stated, bewildered and taken aback. "What do you mean…? Lucrecia, what… I don't unders…" The scientist brushed her hand over Vincent's cheek and pressed a kiss to his lips. When she drew back, there were tears running down her face and falling onto his, washing blood splatters away from his brow.

Softly, she whispered, "I've been studying the old-world Order of Jenova. Hojo and I thought we were onto something, but his experiments kept failing. He… he thought you'd be a perfect test subject… He subjected you to torture, Vincent, and then used Mako to heal you. However, you began to die, and he could not bring you back on Mako alone… So I resorted to using Dark-Mako and cast an incantation on you, so that you will continue to live. There are certain conditions, though…"

"Conditions?" Vincent repeated, still shocked from the information. He couldn't look into Lucrecia's eyes, and kept his on the gauze that covered his chest.

"The demons within you will remain for thirty-one years, and then return to the Lifestream… Vincent, the only thing stronger than darkness and demons is… love. You must… fall in love with a woman who will love you for your demons within, and for your transgressions as a Turk. She must truly love you – not like I loved you. I was willing to put you in danger in the name of science, and I betrayed you by carrying on affair with Hojo… No, she must love you completely. Then, and only then, will the spell be broken. The demons will return to the Lifestream, and you will continue to age on, no longer immortal. But until then, you will not age and will remain stuck as you are now, sometimes alternating demon forms. If you fail to find her by the time thirty and one years are over, Vincent, you will die."

Lucrecia pulled an orb from her lab coat and held it out, her eyes sad as she explained, "This is a time materia… When the last of the mist has dissipated, your time will be up."

With a shaky hand, the Turk took the orb and narrowed his eyes at it, seeing his reflection in the glassy surface. He was distorted, crazy looking. A monster.

His left arm twitched, and he lifted it, finally discovering why it had weighed so much. A thick golden metal covered his appendage, the digits forming sharp talon-like claws at the end. The gauntlet looked menacing. A monster.

"I am hideous…" The sound was bitter, filled to the brim with self-loathing.

"_She_ will not think so," Lucrecia assured, her eyes sad and soft. She brushed her hand through his short locks and placed a chaste kiss to his cheek, whispering, "Forgive me. I'm so sorry, Vincent…"

She turned and left, closing the basement door behind her. Vincent dragged himself from the table to one of the many coffins littering the basement. He pulled the top off of a grey tomb and crawled inside, a feeling of claustrophobia befalling him. The light diminished slowly as the lid settled with every inch he slid over the cover over him, until finally, no light filtered through. His heart shriveled up and died.

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**Okay, I'm really excited about this one. Please, please, please - even if you are anonymous, even if you hated this chapter, please tell me. I need to know what you did and didn't like. Remember, a story is only as good as its readers allow it to be!**

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Into the Lair

**Wow, I got so many reviews on the first chapter! Thank you so much, guys! And especially you, my anonymous reviewers! Valkera, I totally agree with you on Lucrecia ;)**

**Okay, here's the deal - I'm so close to being valedictorian that I could cry! I'm focusing really hard on studies so that I can do better :) Please bear with me as I could take prolonged vacations, but I will ****not**** drop this story! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't profit or own or want to take any of the FFVII plots as my own works. All I'm doing here is using my creative license to build on the plot and recreate my own versions - still owned by SquareEnix - for others' reading pleasure.**

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*_Thirty Years Later_*

"Well this sucks."

The lithe ninja dropped from a tree branch and landed on her feet, earning a sharp tingling sensation in her knees as the force sent shockwaves up her legs. When she recovered from the jump, she brushed twigs and leaves out of her short brown hair and furiously wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek, which only spread the dark mark further across her soft face.

The frigid night air chilled her exposed skin as she took off across the forest, her feet thumping angrily against the dewy ground, but making no sound as she was a kunoichi. Her lungs inflated painfully with each deep, even breath she took, and her eyes remained locked ahead as she gritted her teeth in mild annoyance – scratch that, _major_ annoyance. Callously, she chanted in her head, _I will not marry that arrogant bastard!_ _If I have to run the rest of my life, I will not marry that arrogant bastard!_

In all her haste to put as much distance between herself and Wutai as she could, she'd carelessly not been watching her step and would have been scolded on the spot if her ninjitsu master had seen her. A vine caught her foot, carrying her down a steep ravine before she could properly register the occurring events. With a small curse, she rolled down the dirt, her back hitting jagged rocks and sticks on the way down. When she made it to the bottom, the air rushed out of her lungs and she sat there, staring up at the night sky and gasping for breath while she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her lack of concentration.

"Way to freak-ing go, Yuffie. Some super-ninja you are." Using her elbows to lift her upper body off the ground, Yuffie tilted her head around and examined her surroundings with interest. The forest of Nibelheim dispersed around her slightly, leaving a rather large plot of drab barren land, and in the center, an old run down looking mansion with a low stone wall that ran the perimeter, its fortress like build giving the appearance of protecting some dark secret that lie within the ruins. From the looks of the place, with its deteriorating stone fence, overgrown yard eclipsed by shadows, and caving roof, no human inhabited the manor in at least thirty years – rough estimate, of course.

"Perfect. Per-fect," Yuffie chimed and grinned, squaring her hands like a camera and tilting them as she fit the manor between the open space. She needed a place to lie low and remain hidden until Wutai stopped following her like freaking bloodhounds, sniffing her heals and practically salivating when they caught whiff of her trail.

_Stupid ass Wutai royal guard. Stupid ass Wutai royal father. Stupid ass Wutai royal betrothal. _

_Just see if I come back!_ Yuffie thought smugly, a little huff escaping her at the audacious thought of marrying some stuck up airhead by force. Standing up and dusting the dirt off her illegally tiny shorts with contempt, the ninja took off at a sprint, ignoring the aching in her ankle that screamed, '_Help me, I'm sprained! Damn it, Yuffie, quit running!'_

The wind whipped at her hair as she neared the manor with determination in her eyes, but when she reached the front entrance, everything stood ominously still, the atmosphere suddenly stagnant. There was no wind, no chill, and no sound. Only deathly nothingness.

She almost chocoboed out, let her fear carry her back over the field, but then she threw her head back and snorted, rolling her eyes at the notion of "ghosts" and "vampires". As if. And anyways, she was a ninja, and ninja down get scared.

With a petite hand, she pushed the door open, wincing at the loud scraping of the wood against the hard floor. Dust flew up all around her, nearly choking her to death in its assault of grimy particles. After a moment of coughing, Yuffie settled into a calm state and continued on, not deterred by the cobwebs that littered every corner of the room and the decaying furniture that scarcely made the spacious manor look any more inviting. Admittedly, the furniture that decorated the vast hall appeared to have been beautiful in its prime and very expensive, however in its current state, it looked more like some setting from a horror movie. Frowning, Yuffie wondered why no one bothered to make up the place and use it as their own.

_Oh well, squatter's rights now!_

With tiptoes – so as not to alert the monsters, she was totally not hiding from the evil spirits of the undead – she crept through the mansion, taking her time to examine the faultier areas where the stairs appeared to be seconds from collapsing or the ceiling wasn't reliable enough to stand beneath lest she wanted to become a bug beneath a shoe. When she examined the better part of the mansion, she came to the sight of a locked door and it quickly caught her eye. Yuffie marched toward it, fingering the padlock that restricted any further entry. Curious, the ninja placed her ear against the door and listened for sounds, but heard nothing behind its thick build. With a grin, she pulled a pin out of her hair and slid it into the lock, playing around with it until it clicked open. She let the lock drop to the floor with a clank, and then yanked the door open, the momentum almost sending her sprawling to the floor in a heap of ninja limbs. Yuffie cocked her head, eyeing the stairwell that led downward.

"A locked basement? Freaky." Thoughts of Frankenstein's monster filled Yuffie's head, and she giggled, scoffing, "Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna walk down there and find some half-dead thing strapped to an operating table, its body meant to be dead some twenty odd years ago…"

Yuffie pranced down the stairs, her giddiness getting the better of her when she slammed into the next door. Rubbing her forehead and frowning, the ninja opened the door, and stuck her head in, the other hand reflexively inching toward Conformer on her back. With tentative steps, she slipped into the basement, her eyes observing every detail. A shudder ran through her when she caught sight of an examination table, complete with rack of instruments of torture. A bit of brownish-red crust caked some of the tools, and Yuffie gulped, hoping with everything she had that it was only rust.

"Okay, so no scientific creation. That's good," Yuffie whispered, gulping. The ever curious kunoichi ran her hand along the edge of the bench. Seconds after her fingers grazed a body restraint, a paralytic shockwave shot up her spine, making the kunoichi yelp and press her finger to her lips. Hesitantly, she pressed her hand against the bench again; there was no painful sensation like before. But she was so sure she had felt agony, hurt, pain, betrayal, all things horrible when she first pressed her hand there. Almost like she'd seen some long forgotten memory.

"This place gives me the heeby jeebys," Yuffie declared, wrapping an arm around herself. She spun around and headed toward the door again, her eyes skipping right over the coffin in the corner.

* * *

Whining echoed in Vincent's ears. For a moment, he let his eyes blink open. The constant chatter in his mind seemed to grow louder like it usually did when some poor unfortunate soul came banging on his door. He felt no internal threat to his existence, so Vincent continued to lay there, his heart rate slow as he listened to the very quiet, next to inaudible footfalls of someone scampering around his mansion like a field mouse.

A growl reverberated in the back of his mind, the telltale sign that Galian Beast wanted out. The sound the demon made hadn't necessarily been aimed at the intruder, but Vincent himself. The beast wanted to go investigate. Vincent supposed that all mutts wanted to investigate new smells.

'_Now, now, Vincent, don't be like that.'_ Vincent rolled his eyes at the hiss, nearly groaning. The Chaos demon wouldn't let him sleep for five years without waking him up for some pointless conversation.

'Like what?' he snapped back, trying to fall asleep once more.

'_Act superior because you are more human than the rest of us.'_

With a sigh, Vincent frowned. 'I do not feel superior. I feel like a monster.'

The mental image of a demon throwing his hands into the air with exasperation entered the ex-Turks thoughts. '_That is just it, though! You feel you are a monster because of us. Without our presence, you would feel human again.'_

The dark-haired man shook his head, his now incredibly long locks swaying with the movement. 'I could never feel human again. There are… too many modifications to my previous genetic makeup. I am filled with chemicals and scarred, and I will never be human again.'

'_You might be if you met _her,' Chaos protested, and Vincent got the distinct feeling that he was sticking his forked tongue out at him. The mere thought of ever seeing another soul turned the ex-Turk's stomach.

Vincent remained still, not willing to continue the conversation. He did his best to block out the demons, something he'd practiced for a long while. When he finally muted the noise, he slid a hand through his hair, breathing harshly. He couldn't allow himself to go chasing after some girl that he never really wanted to find in the first place. He loved Lucrecia, and she betrayed him. She did, however, give him one last chance to continue on, but without her, he decided it was pointless. He did not want to fall in love again, and he did not want to subject anyone else to the hideousness of his being. With that, he fell back into a deep slumber.

Until he heard a scuffling noise above him. Oh well, he knew he'd have the element of surprise.

* * *

Just as Yuffie leaned over the coffin, her interest piquing at the sight before her, the lid flew off and a creature sat upright, glaring at her harshly with blood-like eyes. With a shriek, the girl flew to the opposite side of the room, pressing herself into the cold wall as she flung Conformer at the thing. He caught it midair like it was a piece of flypaper and held the rather large shuriken before him.

"Damn," Yuffie breathed, admiring the lightning fast reflexes. The creature turned to her, his eyes morphing into yellow, the feat terrifying. Even under the twisted scrutiny, she kept her chin up. She wasn't so afraid of him, really, he had just caught her off guard.

The thing slithered out of the coffin, its claws flexing as it roared mightily and threw its wolf-like head back. The silvery-purple creature loomed above her, at least six feet tall and impressive in girth, its long curving horns adding even more height to the intimidating stature. With a gulp, Yuffie placed one foot behind her, bending her front leg in an attack-ready position. She really didn't want to fight this thing if she didn't have to.

"What are you doing in my home?" the hissing creature demanded, its lips pulling back to bare its sharp teeth.

_Oh my Leviathan. Does this thing _not_ know the meaning of hospitality and all that crap!? _Yuffie raised an eyebrow at the monster.

"Well, excuse the hell out of me!I was just trying to find a place to crash, but obviously, some other freakazoid beat me to it. So you know, you could just like, crawl back into the coffin there and go back to sleep." Yuffie inwardly fist pumped at her brashness, but from the angered look in the thing's eyes, she suddenly felt like slapping her forehead.

"You dare to interrupt my slumber and barge into my home? You dare to insult me?!" The creature crossed the room in a flash, scowling down at her with a murderous gleam in its eyes.

"You wanna fight me, big guy? Bring it on!" Yuffie reared back and threw a punch towards its disturbing face, but the thing caught her hand in a flash, its vice-like grip squeezing her wrist painfully. She cried out and recoiled, but he held tighter. After yanking away from the monster futilely, Yuffie slumped forward, defeated. Even the best ninja knew when to surrender.

The creature's grip softened slightly when she relaxed, and he pulled her toward him, examining her wrist as if checking to make sure he had not injured her. She gazed up into its eyes, watching as the color faded from a bright yellow to a dull orange, seemingly transitioning to red. It tore its eyes from her.

"Go." The command came off quiet and remorseful, and Yuffie got the feeling that he felt a little guilty. For what, she couldn't tell. But, she was insatiably curious, and so what if that killed the cat. She did love cats, and they had nine lives to lose anyways. In any case, she was determined to find out what had gotten this thing's goat.

Surprising both of them, she cocked her hip and stated firmly, "Nuh-uh."

"Excuse me?" the creature growled, slightly incredulous. Yuffie almost laughed at the widening of its yellow eyes.

"You heard me ! Nuh-uh. I'm staying right here. I need a place to hide – no, I will not tell you why – and this manor is as good a place to hole up as any. Besides, you'll never even notice I'm here!" Yuffie tilted her head and grinned, her short brown locks falling in front of one of her silver and chocolate eyes.

_Please work!_ she pleaded in her head. She couldn't even fathom the idea of being turned out of the mansion and forced to continue running from Wutai.

The creature tilted its head too, his eyes glazing over as if he was having a mental conversation with himself. Yuffie watched him, wondering what he was thinking. At length, he asked quietly, "You are not afraid of me?"

Was she? He _did_ look like some bloodthirsty animal that no doubt would rip her throat out if she ever crossed a line. What was it that had kept her here? Under any normal circumstance, she might've taken off like a sane person and forgotten she'd ever happened upon the hellhole. But there was something that kept her here, some inkling…

Yuffie looked him up and down, pursing her lips, and then replied, "Well, let's just say I'm afraid of a lot of things." _Like my slip of a father's betrothing me to some Leviathan-awful man._ "I just know how to deal with it."

The thing did not reply, but turned and headed back to its coffin until Yuffie called out, "Wait!.. I just… What are you?"

The creature turned back, only the profile of his face visible as he replied loathingly, "A monster and a demon." With a shudder, Yuffie realized that his voice held all those horrible emotions she'd felt when she'd touched that operating table.

* * *

**Okay, so they've met! I hope y'all liked it so far :) Next up, Yuffie and Vince start getting to know each other - and realize how much they despise the other's existence.**

**Tell me the good, the bad, the ugly - just be nice ;) Thank you for reading, and thank you in advance for reviewing, cuz I know you're gonna, riiighhht?**


	3. Demon or Man?

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and alerted! I love you guys! Some people might think I'm just being polite by thanking y'all, but I truly do appreciate what you do :) It's reviews, favorites, and alerts that really make a writer feel appreciated and driven to continue! **

**I tried to slow it down a bit due to a review, so if it still feels too fast, please let me know! Thanks for the critiques and the help ^-^**

**Disclaimer: Well, actually... No, I don't own FFVII.**

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An eerie silence befell the basement when the door shut with an echoing thud. Vincent remained frozen, comatose-like in mind and paralyzed in body. When he finally shook himself from his stupor, his mind worked on overdrive as the demons in his subconscious hissed amongst themselves in a language mostly foreign to the ex-Turk. Only Chaos's lingua franca formed a coherent thought within his cognizance, although he'd spent long enough listening to his other demons to piece together the gist of their discussions. Currently, the intruder girl with the cheeky disposition served as their exhortation for Vincent to emerge from the basement shadows and his much appreciated stagnation within his fairly uncomfortable coffin.

'_Vince, go after her! Don't be an imbecilic introvert!' _Chaos urged, his tone frantic with the prospect of a cute little ninja with audacity that could rival his own. In fact, the demon seemed to rather enjoy the sight of the female, though Vincent knew it only resulted from his primal urges and the fact that the last woman either of them saw had been Lucrecia Crescent, and nothing much followed that relationship since it had occurred… How long _had_ he been sleeping now? Vincent couldn't even place how many years had passed since he locked himself away.

Or how many years he had left until the burden lifted and he joined the Lifestream to dissolve into peace.

'No.'

The ex-Turk sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This interloper would prove problematic for his seclusion. She obviously held no qualms about forcefully imposing her presence upon his pitiable soul. No matter how Vincent attempted to keep to his isolation, something told him that she would not be allowing that one bit, nor would his demons. There just seemed to be something about her that screamed she wouldn't take crap from anyone.

_'Why not!?' _the demon demanded, inflicting a headache upon the resisting host in retribution of his stubbornness. '_Ask her for her name! What could that hurt!?'_

'Me,' Vincent answered glumly, leaning against a clammy wall as he closed his crimson eyes and willed both his headache and Chaos to depart, which they did much to Vincent's gratitude. With a cursory glance around the room now that his headache had vanished and he could see, Vincent surveyed the chamber, his red eyes falling upon the operating table on the far side. Pushing off of the wall, the dark-haired man approached the lab bench, a grimace breaking out on his face as he examined the blood spatters on the old metal and the various tools that splayed across the rack beside it.

"Lucrecia…" he breathed, his heart constricting with every syllable uttered. His existence, damned and scourged, served as nothing more than an embodiment of his failure to love the scientist sufficiently. Had he only done more for her, perhaps she would not have sought comfort in the twisted professor's arms. Perhaps, they would be together now, lounging in the sitting room with children scampering around them. Perhaps-

'Stop_ your bitching!'_ Chaos growled within Vincent's head, rolling his yellow eyes in annoyance. '_My name is Vincent Valentine and my heart got broken, poor pitiful me. Now I'm ruined and my life is over! See, Vince? I mean, can you _hear _yourself!? It's disgusting.'_

He knew, of course. How could he be anything _less_ than disgusting? His body harbored the bane of society and scars marred his flesh. Everything about the ex-Turk reeked of his monstrosity. If only he had worked harder for his love…

'_Get over her, Vince! There's a perfectly eligible-'_

_'_You do not know that.'

'-_Not to mention spunky looking woman traipsing around _your _mansion with hips that could undeniably support your half-demon babies! Lay claim, Valentine! Possess her, show her that you are dominant and she belongs to you!' _

Refusal skills, Vincent decided, would be best for any situation in which the demon was pushing for him to do something that he'd rather not. Scratch that, he'd more than rather not – he'd never.

'Chaos, for all intents and purposes, I am a monster. As such, I absolutely will not subject that poor girl to my tainting company. Whether Lucrecia wished for me to go in search of love or not, the fact remains that I cannot bear the thought of bringing harm to or spoiling the innocence of another's soul. For the life of me, Chaos, I cannot.' Vincent crossed his arms, observing the gold structure that enveloped the better half of his left arm, the substantial evidence of his demonic essence. Lucrecia had been his one and only, and without her, he was only the corpse of a man. A corpse that demons resided within.

'_You, my host, are a snooze,' _Chaos deadpanned, and Galian Beast let loose a little snarling cackle in response to his taunt. But Galian never responded in any form to anything Chaos or Vincent ever said…

And then Vincent knew – Galian Beast was coming out to play.

* * *

"Just a spooky mansion filled with monsters and creepy fiends that live in coffins – it's no biggie!" Yuffie swatted at yet another spider-web and shivered, her teeth chattering as she searched the house for some sort of heater to fix the near-Shiva temperature. With a groan, she concluded that the house was far too old and much too primeval to have any modern technology – namely television and telephone services – and she'd have to suffer through the positively boring experience of rooming with a creature she wasn't sure wouldn't kill her while she was sleeping.

Go figure.

She supposed that anything was better than returning to Wutai, though. That thought turned her stomach, and she pushed the contemplation out of her head, sticking her tongue out at the notion. If her father wanted to play that game with her, well, then he'd just have to kiss her ass. She loved her country, but when duty demanded her to marry a jerk just to rule, she drew the line.

"It's so freaking cold in here," the ninja hissed, rubbing her arms.

"My apologies."

With a shriek, Yuffie spun around, her steely brown eyes wide as she once again beheld the towering creature. After the shock wore off, her hand relaxed from its current grip on Conformer. She exhaled deeply and shrugged.

"Well, you're six foot something and covered in fur, so I guess I can't blame you for having a house that feels like Icicle Inn." Yuffie walked toward the tea room, the creature following her with mild interest.

"I… was not always covered in fur. Nor am I always."

The kunoichi stopped in her tracks, turned to face the monster, and crossed her arms in disbelief. Did he… Did he really expect her to have a response to that? "Uh…"

With a smirk, the creature seated himself at the table near a large window, gazing out of the glassy pane to the grey sky outside. Baring his teeth, he replied, "My host is angered with me."

Arching her eyebrow, Yuffie sat herself across from the monster, her heart beating a little faster as his words caught up with her mind. Consistently, she flexed her hand, readying herself to grab her shuriken if the time called for it. Generally, she got along with people pretty well (lie), but she didn't just hand her trust out to anyone.

What did he mean, _host?_ "Care to explain, Sasquatch?"

The beast rumbled a little, growling lowly at her nickname as its fur bristled, although it seemed to enjoy Yuffie's edgy wit. "My name is not Sasquatch, and you'll do well to remember that, human. I am a demon, Galian Beast is the name, and the body in which I reside belongs to Vincent Valentine, formerly of the Nibel Turks."

At this, the ninja straightened, her mouth falling open a little. If he was a Turk, then… "The Nibel Turks were destroyed _thirty years ago_, and replaced by the Midgarian Turks that protect the President. If he was a Nibel Turk…"

With a dark chuckle, the monster nodded and finished, "Yes, my host's body is fifty-seven years old. He is immortal, however, due to a-"

A vicious roar ripped through the creature's body, and to Yuffie's immense horror, the monster collapsed on the ground, its limbs shaking and twitching as the fur retracted into its body, stretching into pale skin. His claws ripped flesh as they retreated and were replaced by fingers, and then suddenly, the process reversed like a rubber band that snapped, and the monster remained on the floor, appearing much as he had before the strange semi-transformation.

"Galian?" Yuffie inquired tentatively, crouching beside the monster. She pressed her hand to its shoulder, suddenly very worried for its – his well-being.

"Get away from me!" he hissed, his eyes no longer yellow but a deep blood-red. Jumping back, Yuffie pressed her hand to her mouth, watching in dismay. Her pulse raced in her veins as concern shot through her. _Leviathan, is he okay!?_

The monster regarded her coldly, its breathing ragged. The ninja took one step forward, approaching the creature.

Reaching out a hand, she breathed, "Galian-"

"My name is _Vincent_," it snarled as it rounded on her, hatred in its eyes as its body convulsed. The voice bit at her like a sharp knife, its point dipped in the venom of every poison known to man and creature. He was positively heartless.

Unable to find her voice, Yuffie turned and fled, racing up a flight of stairs as she held back tears. In alarm, she determined that the demon was much more human than its host.

* * *

**Okay, I really hope y'all liked it! Is it still too fast? Please let me know so I can continue to work at making it better! :) And, as always, I love reviews! *hint, hint***


	4. Nice to Make Your Acquaintance, Bitch

**Hey, everyone! Thanks so much to those who have reviewed and read! I hope this is still entertaining and interesting :) In this chap, I'm going to introduce a pretty vital character :)**

**This is my last update until July due to some stuff going one. Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything read/seen here.**

* * *

'_Way to go, Vincent! You scared the poor girl!' _Chaos, though he poked at his host, seemed to get a kick out of the little ninja's paralyzed features the moment Vincent turned on her. The man had come to back in his basement, and for that, he could be grateful. He hated any other place.

'Good,' was his reply. 'She'll learn soon enough that it is foolish to tangle with a demon-infested carcass.' At that, the ex-Turk hesitantly made his way towards the staircase that led to life beyond his coffin. Staring up the dimly lit corridor and claw clutching the knob of the door, the gunslinger felt his pulse pick up and uncertainty course through his frozen veins. The world, after however long the man had slept in seclusion, certainly was subject to change; if it endured a static evolution, little would remain to be said for its advancements in any innovational technologies. Inevitably, however, the developments of Gaia had certainly reached breakneck speed even while the ex-Turk lived his naïve life with his less-naïve-than-he-first-suspected love – in short, he feared the unknown.

Perhaps feared was too strong a word for Vincent Valentine, but dreaded? Undeniably. Beyond the clammy confines of the claustrophobic stairwell lied an indefinite realm of knowledge, and, unquestionably more unsettling, science.

Although it required little energy of the demon-host, his legs refused to budge from their spot at the foot of the basement. For Odin knew how long, Vincent Valentine had slept in that damnable coffin and denied the presence of a world beyond that. Somehow, it seemed too soon to venture out and meet it again.

But this ninja, this slip of a girl that happened upon his peaceful slumber, stormed into his tranquility and shook the very foundation of his entire existence. For the first time since that fateful stormy night, the gunslinger had found himself back in the place of his nightmares, the same place he had thought himself safe in. And she, this – this little piece of wasted air, had brought his demons out from deep inside him and left him writhing on the floor in utter agony and completely at their mercy!

'_Don't be so hard on the flower, she's probably scared out of her mind anyways. I mean, think about it; the girl creeps into an old mansion thinking that she'll be able to hide from whatever she's running from, and then BAM! Sirens going off, screams of terror in the air and – hello, Mr. Big, Tall, Scary, and Covered In Fur!'_

'It is her own fault.' Vincent resolutely negated to be swayed.

'_You should apologize, host.'_

Sitting on the bottom step of the stairwell, Vincent rubbed his chin with his brow furrowed. His demon, a creature of hellish delight that only lusted after death, destruction, and misery, was commanding him to apologize for _hurting someone's feelings?_

_'Don't be so shocked, Vincent. She's got legs that could make even the fiercest demon foam at the mouth. Case in point: me.'_

Not a great many things bothered Vincent Valentine, but for some unfathomable reason, that statement made his blood boil. The crude remark upset the gunslinger, filling him with a sense of indignation and protectiveness, though he knew not why. He did know, however, that the last thing he wanted was to hurt that child whether she annoyed him or not.

'Chaos, you will _not_ harm her.' The tone was dangerous, low, and final, unspoken threats underlying the order.

'_Who said it was gonna hurt? Unless she likes it that way-'_

With a roar that seemed to come from a place greater than Gaia, Vincent slammed his fist into the wall, breaking through the archaic plaster and shaking the staircase. 'I said **NO**, Chaos!'

With a mockingly twisted voice that sent pure horror though the gunman in waves, Chaos hissed, '_If I desired her, do you honestly think you are strong enough to stop me?'_

They both knew he was not.

* * *

"I hate it here! Leviathan, I don't know what's worse, living with a psychotic demon or returning to Wutai!"

A loud gasp made Yuffie spin around, her chocolate-bullet eyes going wide at the presence of another standing in her doorway. A young girl, at least a good five years the ninja's junior, stared back at her with something akin to wonder in eyes that rivaled the ice of Shiva.

"You – but… It's not… How- Does Master know you're here?" It seemed to take quite a bit out of the child to utter the sentence, and the kunoichi immediately bent lower to smile at the girl, hoping not to intimidate the little miss.

"Sweetie, do you know the man who lives here?" Yuffie's voice lowered to a quiet pitch as she cocked her head at the girl innocently.

The girl defiantly shook a lock of auburn hair from out of her eyes and stated in a voice much like a robot's, "I am thirty years old, miss." At Yuffie's gasp, the girl continued, "I understand that my appearance is more than misleading, but there are reasons that cannot be uttered for the fact. I am the servant of the man who owns this manor, and have been for longer than I can remember. My sister, Shalua Rui, studied under the woman who Master Valentine – but I shouldn't go into that… In any case, when my sister passed at my tender age of eight, Master Valentine allowed me to continue to live here with him. The laws in Nibelheim at the time were very strict regarding adoption of orphans, and the law refused to allow a man like Vincent – but I shouldn't go into that either – to care for a girl of my age, for they suspected it to be a roguish venture on his part. I became a servant by law, and he was able to take care of me then under the title of my master. He's a good man, contrary to what others might assume. He could have left me for dead. He certainly had no obligations to me."

Yuffie blinked in wonder, soaking in every detail of the story. This woman appeared to be no more than ten, so how could she be thirty? Then again, the demon in the basement was a Nibel Turk, and well, a demon. Apparently, things in Nibelheim were much stranger than she could have guessed.

"Master Valentine… You seem to be very fond of him?" It was a question more than a statement, and the ninja wondered if the girl before her had a little crush on the creature – man – thing. She couldn't fathom why, for she would never find herself subject to adoring such a loathsome, revolting thing. That would be degrading on so many levels.

"Indeed," she replied, smiling slightly. "He has done much for my family."

"And have you actually seen him in the past thirty years?" With a wild movement, the ninja gestured in air. The skeptical tone in Yuffie's voice appeared to rub the girl the wrong way, for her eyes narrowed to slits.

"He cannot survive on air and sleep alone," the woman nearly spat in return. "I brought him food, water, and allowed fresh air into his coffin when he needed it. I understand that you must think he's disgusting, but you do not know him the way I do!"

_And let's hope it stays that way,_ Yuffie thought, crossing her arms. Sure, she thought Galian was pretty cool, but Vincent? She felt less than enthusiastic about being caught in the same room alone with him. "What's your name?"

"Yours first." _So you wanna play that game, huh? _

"Alright. It's Yuffie." The Wutain ninja narrowed her eyes some and bit back, "Now you."

"Shelke Rui of the Valentine household." She tilted her head, seeming to size the dark-haired woman up. "And I suppose you will be staying here?" The voice held hostility, making it apparent to Yuffie that she was not welcome and would not be staying in the manor under any circumstances.

_Huh, well this oughta piss you off nice and good! _Yuffie thought impishly. With a nod, she turned and sashayed away, glancing over her shoulder to reply smirkingly, "I will be staying, actually, since _Vinnie_ said it was okay."

The glare that Yuffie received could have melted Icicle Inn to the ground.

* * *

**Pretty short, but it's all I could get done during my time frame. Thank you for reading, and please drop a review!**


	5. Motel Hell - We'll Leave the Light Off

**Hey, everybody! I've finally gotten the next chapter written, so here it is! Thank you to the new faves, alerts, and reviews!**

**PhatesSilverEyes: Thank you so much! ^-^ I like the title, too ;)**

**Valkera: Thanks! I think that of Shelke, too ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not profit from FanFiction. All rights go to the respective owners of FFVII, thanks! I also do not own The Twilight Zone. **

* * *

Yuffie had one thing to say: This place would _not _be receiving five-stars and a thumbs-up on HotelGaialocity!.

Her bedroom, as it turned out, was nothing short of a behemoth breeding ground, complete with savage creatures foaming at the mouth. The list of complaints the ninja had been compiling since her arrival stretched from one end of the monster she was fighting (a particularly ugly thing with a scaly hide and rancid breath) to the other.

1. The air conditioning was out. When was the last time this guy had even had an electrician over? Oh, right, this house came straight from the dark ages.

2. The hospitality s-u-c-k-e-d. _Sucked._ Little Miss Icicle had quite literally thrown Yuffie into the nearest, most monster-infested room she could possibly find.

3. The manager was not normal. He stood over six feet tall, was covered in fur, and had eyes that changed from yellow to red. Oh! And let's not forget the fact that he went from a Mr. Valentine to Galian Beast. What was this, an episode of _The Twilight Zone_?

4. The place was a bio-hazard. When was the last time a health inspector had popped his head in? Considering, if he'd popped his head into what was currently Yuffie's room, he might not have ever popped his head back out. What had the behemoth eaten, anyways?

5. The place stunk. Like, seriously, Mr. Valentine, invest in some air fresheners for Leviathan's sake.

Dodging another well aimed snap from the large monster, Yuffie rolled over a board, the wood screeching in protest. As she laid on her back and held the creature's mouth away from her face, the ninja sent a little prayer upward that the board wouldn't choose now to give way.

And was that laughter she heard in the hall? The laughter that sounded full of dark amusement, the kind that made Yuffie's blood burn as she imagined the red-haired twit holding her stomach and guffawing at the sounds of the ninja's struggle.

But she had to have imagined it, she supposed. No way that little ice-pop could form any emotion other than blank, glassy vacancy. Ugh, how the heck was this place not just considered condemned and demolished?

Grumbling as she delivered a rather well-aimed toss of Conformer, Yuffie jumped to her feet and collapsed against a dresser, watching what had to have been the fourth monster keel over and die, its off-colored blood oozing out of it. The kunoichi glanced down at herself, sticking her tongue out and scrunching her nose up at the amount of creature gore that dripped off of her.

"Well, don't I look lovely!" Yuffie commented, a dry laugh escaping her. "I wonder if Mr. Morphs-a-Lot and Lady Apathy would like me to join them for dinner?"

Running her hands down her front and dispelling most of the chunky bits of the filth, the ninja stood and picked her shuriken up, inspecting it with narrowed steely eyes. After ensuring that it had succumbed to no damage, Yuffie packed it away in her bag and turned to examine the mess she had made of her room — or, rather, the expansion of a mess.

Dryly, she remarked, "They had better have continental breakfast."

When Yuffie had certified that she appeared at least as decent as she could manage under the circumstances (admittedly, not very), she strolled over to her door and turned the knob.

Or tried to.

With wide eyes, Yuffie grabbed the knob and twisted more forcefully, turning until her knuckles were white and the fold of skin between her first finger and thumb was red. Had that — that _woman-child_ actually locked her in? What the heck did that accomplish?!

Appalled, the ninja banged her fists on the door, screeching, "Hey! Snow-Cone, let me out!"

A muffled scuffling noise drifted beneath the space under the door. "I'm afraid I cannot do that, Miss Yuffie. The master has retired for the night and wishes for no disturbances."

Rolling her eyes, Yuffie let go of the handle and crossed her arm, waiting for Shelke to continue. When she didn't, the kunoichi dropped to her knees silently, her eye pressed to the space beneath the threshold and her ear pressed to the floor. Whatever light that the servant-girl's candle had given off was gone now, signaling she'd left the area. With a triumphant grin, Yuffie stretched up, sitting on her knees so she was eye-level with the doorknob.

"A ninja always knows how to pick a lock!" Luckily, Yuffie kept a diverse array of lock-picking utensils tucked into her hair band. She pulled the ribbon, letting the band fall from its spot tied around her head. Flipping it over, she revealed the backside where she'd overlapped the material to create a flap to hide her mini-ninja-gadget-collection. With a victorious cheer, she tugged a slender piece of metal and one of its brethren from the sheath.

"Piece o' cake," she whispered, biting her lip as she slid the instruments into place and proceeded to move them around, waiting for the tell-tale click. After the lock snapped, she gently twisted the knob, sticking her grimy face around the door hesitantly. Nothing could be seen in the hall besides billowy curtains and shiny cobwebs. When she confirmed that the coast was clear, the ninja slipped out of her room and tip-toed across the wood floor.

_No Shelke, no Vincent, no Galian! _Yuffie sucked in her breath and crept down the hall, soaking in the details of the tattered drapes that hung from the darkened windows, the peeling paintings that might have been masterpieces in another time. Even the scratched-up wooden stand against the wall at the end of the corridor held a lonely, chipping vase that seemed to be lacquered in gold, and might've shone like Leviathan's scales had it been given the chance.

Frowning slightly, Yuffie brushed her hand over a gouge in the railing of the stairs, whispering to herself, "This place is so depressing. It's like... the house itself can't bear to live."

A clap of thunder shook the manor, causing the ninja to shriek and clasp the banister tighter. When she realized the amount of noise she'd made, Yuffie threw a hand over her mouth and spun around, waiting with raptured attention to see if the servant woman or her master would come running out to catch her sneaking out of her room.

Shuddering slightly, the runaway shook off the image of being burned at the stake, an expressionless Shelke blinking at her with just a hint of amusement in her ice-blue eyes.

"What was I thinking?" she breathed, creeping down the stairs and thanking Leviathan that remaining quiet when in risk of being caught was one of her stronger suits. Being quiet any other time? Forget it. "Why didn't I just sleep in a ditch?"

Right before she stepped down, Yuffie glanced at the steps below her, cringing at the rotted appearance. From the warped look, she knew that the next few steps were pitfalls waiting to happen. The ninja held her breath, squeezed her eyes tight, and jumped it, letting her breath out in relief as she landed silently on the first floor.

With renewed vigor, Yuffie padded across the floor, taking in the very spacious area that lead from the front door to the rest of the house. Moonlight filtered through broken windows, illuminating the dusty floorboards and faded rugs. The ninja shivered in the cold night air, crossing her arms as she let out a shaky breath.

Deciding she'd explored enough — though she simply wished to return to her room for fear of being caught snooping after hours — Yuffie spun on her heel and began to sneak back to her room. As she cleared the stairs and neared her door, her hip caught the edge of an end table, causing the piece of furniture to teeter.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no!_ The ninja latched onto the edge of the table, throwing her leg out to stop it from toppling over. Using her thigh, she pushed the top of the table up and the stand forward, sighing a little as it righted itself.

With an audible, "Phew," Yuffie leaned her back against the stand, wiping a bead of nervous sweat from her hairline. Behind her, the table leaned in opposition to her weight, and an object crashed to the floor. With wide eyes, the ninja dropped to her knees and crawled into the corner, tugging on a ratty end of a drape for cover.

When the drape barely moved and her hand brushed against something fuzzy, all color drained from Yuffie's face.

Her eyes moved from the floor upwards, finding a peculiarly thick, warm, fur-covered table before her, and as she lifted her gaze, Yuffie became aware that in her hands was not a curtain, but the ends of a faded scrap of cloth that had been fastened around the waist of the one person she did not want to see right now.

"... Uh... Hey?"

Crossing his arms, the creature glared down at the ninja in disdain. Gulping a little, Yuffie scrambled to her feet, slinking into herself under the weight of the thing's stare. Twiddling her fingers, the runaway looked up at the animal-like demon, her lip stuck out in a pout.

"You... Uh... aren't gonna eat me, are you?"

Nothing could have prepared her for the creature's reaction. As soon as the words had left the ninja's mouth, the being tossed its furry head back, clutching its midsection as it howled in laughter. Yuffie's jaw dropped, and she watched the thing wipe away tears from its eyes.

Shaking its head, the creature answered, "You would not taste good enough, child."

Pouting, Yuffie questioned, "You're Galian, aren't you? No way that's Vincent right there."

Grinning at the ninja, the thing nodded and replied, "Observant, I see. Yes, it is I, Galian Beast."

Yuffie's shoulders slumped in relief as she smiled back at the towering Galian and threw her hands on her hips, cheering, "Oh, good! 'Cause I would've been dead for sure if it was Vincent!"

Galian raised an eyebrow at that, his snout still curled in a wicked grin. Patting the runaway's shoulder, the being steered the petite girl down the hall and toward her room. When they got to the door, he glanced down the corridor for a moment and then back at her.

"Be careful, Yuffie. You shouldn't go snooping around. And don't ever visit the East Wing. You might have been to the Master's basement once, but should you choose to go back, he will not be lenient. I must go now, goodnight."

Absorbing the information with a frown, Yuffie nodded at Galian. "Goodnight."

She watched him maneuver down the hall, her eyes glowing in a sort of fascination. Why was he treating her like a friend and not a prisoner? Not that she was a prisoner, but she was staying in his manor. And why would a…thing… like him even care?

"He's so different from Vincent…" Yuffie opened the door to her room and crossed the cold floor, sliding back into her squeaky bed. Glaring at the moonlight streaming through the window, the ninja wondered, _What happened to Mr. Valentine?_

* * *

By the time morning broke, Yuffie was up stretching in her room, running through her vigorous exercises as she pondered what she would do today. She didn't feel particularly inclined to hang around The House of Horrors, but she knew that venturing into town could be very stupid on her part. The last thing she wanted was to be caught and sent back to Wutai.

"I'd rather be stuck here for the rest of my life," she hissed, bending down to stretch her spine.

"No one is forcing you to stay," a voice spat, its tone venomous and cold. Immediately, Yuffie straightened up and stared dead ahead, not feeling too keen on facing the creature at her door.

Sucking her teeth, Yuffie finally turned and looked at the towering animal before her. Its eyes were blood red today, not the familiar yellow hue that she had grown to consider friendly in comparison to this. The ferocious being scowled at her, eyes narrowed as she nodded in greeting.

"Well, I'm certainly not staying because the host is welcoming," Yuffie retorted, brushing past the creature as she stepped into the hall. It grabbed onto her shoulder, its claws tearing into the skin there as it lowered its head and growled in fury. When Yuffie cried out at the pain of her flesh ripping, the thing — _Vincent_ let go of her, stumbling back a bit as he watched the little streams of blood flow down from the lacerations.

"I… I—" He was struggling for words, his eyes wide in something akin to horror, ironically. A self-loathing emotion flickered across his face, and although the ninja wanted to slap the crap out of Vincent, she couldn't do it when he looked so utterly contrite.

"I'm sorry," Vincent finally managed, his animal-ish head hung in regret. With a tentative step forward, Yuffie placed her hand on his face, lifting his head by his furry chin. She offered him a small smile.

"It's cool. I'm a ninja. I've experienced worse, and besides, I was kind of asking for it." At this, her smile morphed into a grin, and the creature eyed her in confusion. Yuffie ruffled the fur on his head and then stepped back, stating, "Well, Vince, I gots to get!"

As she turned to leave, Vincent called, "You're leaving?" and she could have sworn she detected a hint of panic. Flashing the creature a brilliant smile, the ninja shook her head.

"Nope! Don't think you can get rid of me _that_ easily." She winked and was gone.

* * *

**So, not much in this chapter, it was basically filler :/ But how else am I going to show a gradual change from hatred to love? Yeah, it's going to be a couple of chapters...**

**I hope you all enjoyed! :D As always, I do love feedback and constructive criticism! Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time ^-^**


	6. Enter Those Who Aren't Clinically Insane

**Hey, everyone! Sorry for the late update. I've been on an unexpected vacation, and with school starting in a couple weeks, it's been crazy. I've still yet to schedule an appointment at the salon to cut the pink ends of my hair off before school starts, since that isn't allowed. Oh well, I'm back :)**

**Valkera: Thanks ;) Yes, I do love Hampton Inn beds, they are nice! Too bad I stayed at a little motel on my trip, it kind of sucked. Anyways, omg! Vincent! Have you gone already?! You have to tell me what it's like!**

**Disclaimer: Just having fun with concepts that belong completely to other people, and I swear I'm not profiting. Cool?**

* * *

The town was a sleepy little one with a sky that seemed to stretch on for miles as it blanketed the mountains in a lazy mixture of grey and cornflower blue, one that promised rain. But not the stormy, dark, hide-under-the-blankets-as-the-house-shakes kind, just the kind that left the air smelling like something sweet and refreshing and made the pebbles in the street shine.

Nibelheim looked rather quaint to the Wutai princess. It reminded her nothing of her touristy home with its ornate decorations on sloped roofs and golden dragons decorating every ivory vase. This place was not gaudy or proud, but just an existence full of humble folks trying to survive in the world.

She liked it.

Unfortunately, there probably wasn't any materia.

Now, Yuffie had heard legends of these lustrous orbs that were fabled to endow their user with certain super-human properties, but she'd never actually seen one. In Wutai, they were simply myths due to the fact that only the elders spoke of such things, and even then they said that they hadn't seen such jewels since their childhood. To Yuffie, though, materia just _had_ to be out there somewhere. Where else would they have come up with such a story?

No offense, but the old farts in Wutai were _not_ that creative.

"I wonder if Vinnie has ever seen any?" Yuffie mused quietly, splashing a little in a puddle. He certainly had to be old enough, at least if such a thing existed beyond Wutai. She still couldn't fathom that he'd been an actual Nibel Turk! They were the things legends were made out of (and not the boring materia kind)!

Not watching where she was going, Yuffie bumped into someone accidently. The figure was slightly shorter than average, on the extremely curvy side, and very feminine to boot. Taking a step back from the woman, Yuffie pulled the hood of her cream-colored cloak down slightly, murmuring an apology.

Normally, she would've told whoever bumped into her to shove off, but seeing as how she was attempting to be incognito and hiding from the Wutai Dragon Guard, she figured she'd let this one go.

But, of course, the stranger she'd barreled into wasn't going to let her get away. The woman stopped her by gently placing a hand on her cloaked shoulder, a deceptively gentle hand, mind. Kunoichi senses told her that this woman could kick butt if provoked.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?" the woman asked, her voice silky. Immediately, Yuffie wanted to hug her and never let go. It was like being with her mother again.

Stopping in her tracks, Yuffie remained with her head down and answered, "I've got to grab some groceries from the market. I don't actually know where that is…"

With a winning smile, the woman knelt to her eye level (effectively shooting Yuffie's plan to hell) and answered, "Of course you don't! You must be new in town, 'cause I know everyone here and haven't seen you before. What's your name?"

Her eyes were like two stars plucked right out of the night sky at their brightest, twinkling in a pit of wine. The woman's face was something Yuffie immediately envied, but had trouble doing so because of the sincere warmth she radiated. This woman was the epitome of beauty, with her long dark locks pushed over her shoulder and her captivating features.

What Yuffie liked best about her, though, was that the woman seemed to be unconditionally friendly and loving. And she got all that in a matter of seconds; this woman had a great first impression, and the ninja got the feeling that she could break a million hearts without even knowing she was doing it.

Knowing that giving out her name was practically a death sentence, the kunoichi bit her lip, considering what alias to give this woman. But after blinking her eyes a couple of times, Yuffie cracked and confessed, "My name's Yuffie."

Then she waited for the gasp. Surprisingly, none came.

"That's an interesting name. It must not be Nibelian. I like it though! My name's Tifa, I grew up here with my best friend, Cloud. He should be around here somewhere. He usually hides in the shadows, though, so he's a pretty rare sight."

The giggle that followed made Yuffie think that this girl thought of Cloud as much more than her best childhood friend. Smirking, Yuffie asked, "Cloud? That's a cute name. Wonder if he has a cute face…"

The flushed, ghostly white look on Tifa's face brought a huge smirk to the ninja's lips. "I knew it! You like him, don't you?!"

Frowning pitifully, the woman questioned, "Wow, a complete stranger caught that? Am I that obvious?"

Shaking her head, Yuffie replied, "Nope, I'm just observant!"

"Oh, good!" Tifa gushed with a relieved tone. Watching her closely, Yuffie felt a grin forming. Something said that her dull, half-assed existence at Vincent McMood Swing's house was about to become a little more interesting, courtesy of her new friend.

"So where are you staying?" Tifa asked, motioning for the ninja to follow her down the cobblestone street. The question made Yuffie shiver, and she hoped the woman would just pass it off as the chilly, post-rain breeze.

"Uh, it's that creepy place up on that hill. I'm sure you know the one. It's kind of hard to miss, looks like a haunted house, might be if it wasn't already occupied."

This time, Tifa did gasp. Her jaw had dropped and her pretty eyes widened until they were so big, they almost swallowed her face. Grasping Yuffie's upper arm, she exclaimed, "You're staying _there?!_"

Nodding slowly, the ninja elaborated, "Yeah, with the servant girl and her… master. Have you ever met them?" She supposed that if Tifa had, it might explain her shock. It did seem slightly crazy for her to be staying in a house with a monster-man.

"You mean… there are people in that place?" The utter enthrallment that the older woman displayed enticed Yuffie to ask some questions of her own. It appeared that Tifa knew nothing of Vincent… So what _did_ she know about the house?

Choosing an alternate course of conversation, Yuffie questioned, "What do you know about the manor? You said you grew up here, so there's gotta be some rumors circulating, right?"

After nodding, Tifa took a quick scan of her surroundings, seemingly to confirm that there were no eavesdroppers around. Hurriedly, she pointed toward a sign hanging over what must have been the town's tavern, the name of which was _Seventh Heaven_.

"Follow me," she instructed, pulling Yuffie along with her. "Seventh Heaven's my livelihood. I've owned that bar since the previous owner left it to me in his will. That's where we can talk."

* * *

The tavern radiated heat from a small fireplace in the corner, giving it a nice, homey feel. Over the fire roasted a small pot of stew, filling the air with a hearty aroma. Yuffie's stomach took that time to make its hunger known.

With a laugh, Tifa remarked, "I'd completely forgotten that you went out to buy groceries! Here, sit down at the bar and I'll get you something to eat and drink!"

"Thanks," Yuffie replied, sitting down on a stool made of wood.

When Tifa slid a steaming bowl of meaty stew in front of the famished ninja, Yuffie eyed it like a starved woman, and in all respects, she might has well have been. Then she attacked it, devouring every last bite of behemoth meat, potatoes, carrots, and beans. In seconds, the bowl was clean of any drop of broth, and Tifa stared at Yuffie in shock.

"When's the last time you ate?" she questioned sternly.

With a noncommittal shrug, the kunoichi replied, "Uh… Maybe a couple days ago?"

Tifa grabbed for the bowl, rushing over to the stew pot and slopping more of the rather delicious meal into it, all the while muttering under her breath about, "keeping this poor girl fed!"

She returned with the second helping, and Yuffie ate it appreciatively, and much slower at that. When she had her fill and had downed the glass of water her new friend had set out, she leaned back and stated, "I believe that was the best thing I've ever tasted."

Blushing furiously, Tifa waved off the comment and insisted, "Of course not! You were just so hungry!"

Giving the older woman a lopsided grin, Yuffie retorted, "Nopes! That was pretty amazing."

Having clearly decided that her obviously humble nature was best heeded, the brunette began, "Well, thank you, Yuffie. You're certainly welcome to help yourself to anything cooking here… Now, you wanted to know more about the Shinra Manor, didn't you?"

"Shinra Manor?" Yuffie repeated, the name tasting foul on her tongue. It left a sinking feeling in her stomach, one she desperately wanted to quell. "What's Shinra got to do with anything here?"

Disgustedly, Tifa hissed, "Shinra has everything to do with Nibelheim." She seemed lost in her thoughts at that point, a hidden hatred swimming in the burgundy pools that Yuffie had only ever seen compassion and kindness in. It made the ninja wonder just what the company had done to anger such a sweet person.

Finally collecting herself, the barmaid continued, "When my father was young, Shinra came into this town and destroyed it. Back during my father's childhood, a group known as the Nibel Turks came through here, declaring that this place was, 'Shinra Property,' and everyone here, 'belonged to them.' At first, no one really cared, because the Turks simply stood around the gates and questioned those who entered and exited the town.

"For a while, it kept a lot of riff raff out. The drug dealing here decreased, less women were being trafficked. Everything seemed pretty good for the townsfolk. Still, the Turks were known as bad business. They were ruthless killers with no consciences when it came down to doing Shinra's dirty work, and many of the men had reputations for ruining young ladies. Shinra never came with a good rep.

"Eventually, people started hearing strange things from one of the labs stationed on the outskirts. Rumors were flying that some scientist was experimenting illegally with bio-genetic mutations and this other crazy stuff. Possibly even something known as Dark Mako, but that was confirmed, and no one even knows really what that stuff is.

"There was one man in particular whose name always came up. I… can't remember it now, but it wasn't a very pretty name. He and this woman had some sort of morbid relationship, and they experimented on one of the men in the Turks. Soon enough, all of the Turks attacked the lab, shut the whole thing down. Every single member of the Nibel Turks died, but they never found the scientists.

"Well, the head of Shinra sent his troops in to kill all those who'd bared witness to the perverse company's ways. My grandparents and all of the other adults were murdered in their sleep. The children were sent to an orphanage up towards the mountain range, where someone from Shinra corrupted their minds with their version of the story.

"My grandfather kept a record, however, of what Shinra had done, and my father kept it as a reminder not to be tricked. Since then, the name Shinra has been considered sin in this town. That manor you're staying at is rumored to be the site of one of the worst experiments by Shinra's scientists yet. There are also claims that the place is riddled with a sense of betrayal and heartbreak."

Raptured by the story, Yuffie questioned, "Why heartbreak?"

Smirking, Tifa replied, "Because the man said to have lived there was deeply in love with—"

Wide eyed, the ninja leaned forward, hanging on her every word. Could this man be Vincent? Was this why he was so depressed and gloomy? What had happened in Shinra Manor?!

"Cloud!"

Knitting her eyebrows, Yuffie concluded, "In love with… Cloud?"

Laughing lightly, the barmaid shook her head and pointed past the ninja towards the door. "No, I mean, there's Cloud."

Mildly interested in the man who had this buxom beauty enamored, Yuffie turned on her stool, nearly dropping her jaw at the sight of a rather muscular, but not _too _muscular man with feathery blonde hair that poked out at strange angles atop his head. He had skin that seemed to be as white as a Wutain pearl, and eyes nearly as blue as the coast. He certainly was a beautiful man, and Yuffie could immediately tell why Tifa seemed star struck by him.

With a smile made of the sweetest honey, Tifa glided over to the man and took his arm, pulling him forward. He had made no facial expressions as of present, and though it took Yuffie aback, her friend seemed neither affronted nor deterred.

"Cloud, meet Yuffie," she began, pushing her male companion into a stool before grabbing a glass and filling it with beer. She handed it to him, watching him take a sip. When he set it down, he finally gave as much of a greeting as it seemed the ninja was going to get, and even then, it was only a slight nod of his head.

"Hi," Yuffie greeted, still bubbly although the man seemed less than thrilled about making her acquaintance. "You grew up here, right?"

His lips seemed to grow tauter at that, and he swiveled his head towards Tifa, giving her a steely glare. With an exaggerated eye roll, the barmaid swatted his shoulder dully.

"Lighten up, Cloud. That's all I told her. It's not like I threw all your personal information out there for her to know." Even though she sounded slightly stern, Tifa's face held nothing but warmth as she gazed back at her friend's glare without the slightest intimidation. Yuffie had to give this woman credit, Cloud had a scowl that would make even herself flinch.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Yuffie's eyes widened as she realized how late it had gotten. She'd left early in the morning, and already it was well past evening. She'd spent so much time exploring the town that she'd completely lost track of time.

_I wonder if Vincent's worried_?

Frowning, Yuffie wondered why that flicker of thought had crossed her mind. Shaking it off, she stood and declared, "I've got to get back. Thank you so much for dinner, Tifa. It was really nice to meet you — uh — both. I'll see y'all in town some time!"

Smiling, the brunette hugged the younger woman and responded, "Of course! Come see us any time!"

When she'd said her proper goodbyes, the ninja sped off, racing back to the manor with flames at her heels.

* * *

**Okay, we met Teefs and Cloud, and hopefully they can shed a little light on Shinra's involvment with Nibelheim. And just who is Yuffie to be married to? When will he appear? Where does he fit in? Think you know? **

**Thank you to everyone who has favorited:  
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**I'm going to try to include all of the new people with every update, but for now, that's everyone who has so far! Thank you so much for your support, everybody! And thank you to those that have left a review, I appreciate all feedback I'm given! ^-^**


	7. Unleashing the Monster

**School starts tomorrow :( Here's an update just for y'all! **

**(Sorry, I'll recognize new faves, alerts, and answer reviews next time!)**

**Disclaimer: I don't profit or own anything in this story. All rights go to the owners.**

* * *

As soon as I stepped foot into the gloomy manor, gooseflesh broke out on my arms. It still smelled like small children's tears and funeral home in the front hall, but some of the cobwebs had been cleared away. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Where have you been all day?" a cold voice asked, no inflection in the tone aside from blatant displeasure.

Sighing deeply, I turned to face the short woman-child that appeared at the foot of the stairs, her small arms crossed and her faded brown uniform wrinkled. Waving away her question, I accused, "Don't you people eat here? And have you ever even stepped foot out of this place? No one here seems to know you exist!"

Immediately, those icy-blue eyes widened and Shelke demanded, "You did not tell the townsfolk of us, did you?" The desperation and hint of emergency in her voice made me want to shudder.

"Uh… Not really? It almost came up, but I avoided the conversation. And what's the big secret, anyways, huh? Why are y'all hiding here in this creepy ass manor?"

She'd given me the perfect opportunity to bring up the question I'd been dying to ask. Ever since Tifa had spoken so cryptically about heartbreak and betrayal and Turks, I was aching to get some answers. The only thing I really knew about the people I was with was that one of them had a serious problem with being "holier than thou," and the other stood about six feet tall (if not more), had razor-sharp fangs, a carpet of fur on its body, and was either schizo, or a complete freak of nature.

Maybe both.

Straightening her posture and smoothing out her dress, the servant woman replied pompously, "That is none of your business, Miss Kisaragi. Now, if you will, the master requests an audience." Giving me no chance to retort, 'Who the hell even says "requests and audience" anymore?', Shelke spun on her heel and retreated into another part of the manor, her chin up as she stalked past me.

The master wanted to speak to me, huh? Well, that meant Vincent was probably waiting on me, and not the Galian Beast. After this morning's episode, I didn't feel as intimidated by Vinster as before, but it didn't mean I wanted to gallivant into his presence and have a heart-to-heart over a plate of scones. Or human limbs. Whatever that thing ate.

Then came the question, where exactly did Vincent expect to meet me? It wasn't like I knew where his room was or anything. And, for the record, this cute little piece of ninja ass wasn't about to skip into a strange man's — er — creature's bedroom alone. My motto was, if you don't act like a victim, you limit the risk of being one.

However, I now could sneak through the manor and have a legitimately good excuse.

But that was where I made my mistake.

Rather giddily, I took the stairs two steps at a time, making sure not to place my foot in some particularly risky looking spots. The second floor windows let in a little of the setting sun's last rays of sunlight, illuminating the stretch of space with a crimson glow. It almost looked like someone had taken a paintbrush dipped in blood and painted the corridor. Freaky.

One of the old wooden doors towards the end of the wing stood slightly ajar, and just a sliver of dim light seeped through. It appeared as though it had been left open for the sole reason to beckon me forward, and after what Shelke had said, it didn't seem like it would hurt to take a peek in. If this was the master's chamber, then I would be taking every opportunity available to do some intensive research. I wanted to know everything about the secrets surrounding this place.

Something about Vincent Valentine, the creepy creature-thing that reverted to Galian Beast, called to me like the moon and the tide. When I first ventured into the basement and found him, he seemed so forlorn. I knew that he harbored great hate for himself, it was apparent in his crimson eyes. Galian Beast acted pretty okay with himself, but Vincent gave off an aura of being far from self-appreciating. His heart seemed wounded. Inasmuch as I feared getting into something I couldn't just ninja-poof out of in a cloud of smoke, that nosy, meddlesome nature within me just had to do something.

Silently slipping through the splintered threshold of the room, I found myself staring into a room that was neither normal nor peculiar. A large bed sat angled in the corner, the sheets of which were bathed in a deep scarlet and appeared softer than satin. A sheer black canopy splayed across the edges and spilled onto the dark wood floor, contrasting with the black velvet rug that stretched in a grand circle across the center of the room. A crimson settee sat at the foot of the bed, and against the wall beside it was a large black armoire. There were no lights in the room, as was expected, only flickering cream candles that dripped wax onto the slender silver holders that were scattered in different places. Aside from an ornate wood coffee table, no other furniture was in the room, and the only decorations in it were sparse.

But out of everything I noticed, my eyes kept returning to one thing.

Perhaps the most peculiar aspect of the room was the large oil painting (or was it acrylic?) that stood proudly over a marble fireplace, its scalloped golden frame protecting the fragile canvas within. In all shades of cool colors, a stunning woman had been delicately painted upon the piece, her presence so powerful that it would undoubtedly steal the attention of all whom entered the room immediately. She had long, loose locks of chestnut hair that waterfalled over her squared shoulders, brushing the low neckline of her graceful white gown and tastefully hiding the valley between her breasts. She had a long, slender neck that was as pale as the moon and a face that was proud and beautiful, its shape like a delicate heart. Her mouth was full and luscious, and her eyes were the color of melted chocolate. Oddly, though, the warm personality her face seemed to portray contradicted the calculating, scheming aura that resonated from her.

In all, the woman was rather breathtaking.

The portrait had enraptured me, and without thinking, I took a delicate step forward and rose up on my tip-toes, my finger tracing the outline of her face. Who was this gorgeous woman that Vincent had hanging on his wall? Had a creature like him been in love once? The idea seemed preposterous.

"Get out!" a voice roared, and pure terror flooded my veins as I realized that I'd been caught. I spun around and faced an enraged Vincent, his crimson eyes glowing dangerously as he shook in fury. He seemed to be fighting something, his eyes beginning to transition to a grotesque shade of orange and then to a vibrant gold, almost like a cat. His chest heaved with every deep, forced intake of breath, his fists clenching and unclenching at his side. "You stupid girl!"

Paralyzed by the metamorphosis, I remained glued to the spot, quivering a little as the once animal like beast began to increase in height, its fur retracting into its body as it turned a putrid mauve. Sneaking into this room had definitely been a bad, bad idea.

Never in my life had I been quite so petrified, not even when my mother had been brutally murdered before my very eyes. Vincent had gone from a hideous wolf like being to a man-shaped monster with cracked skin and long, gleaming fangs that protruded from his mouth in a painful looking way, and judging by the look of malice on his face, I knew he was waiting to put them to good use. Then, with no warning, a tearing sound ripped through the room and huge leathery wings sprouted from his back, the force of the eruption blowing the candles out.

What was this thing? It reeked of death, looked like the apocalypse itself with long, gnarled talons that could easily shred someone to bits and powerful arms that could knock skyscrapers to the ground with a simple push. It looked like hell on Gaia.

In alarm, I felt something wet dripping down my face and realized that it was a tear. I hardly ever cried, and if I was doing so now, then my mind was registering the immense peril while my body froze up and shut down, which was not helping me at all. My arms shook by my side as I watched the monster grow nearer, his face infuriated as he closed the distance. I wanted nothing more than to flee from the spot and save myself, but no matter how hard I tried to convince my body to respond, my legs wouldn't cooperate. It was like I was under some sort of demonic spell.

"V-Vincent," I begged, my body trembling as he came so close that I could feel the ice of his breath on my skin. There was no telling why I was trying to plead with him; I already knew that nothing would work. His eyes were so glassy and gone that there was no hope of reasoning with him.

"I'll kill you," he hissed, his voice like a poison. I could almost feel the cold tone seeping into my skin, trying to attack my cells and kill me with just words. I was beginning to believe he could.

"Please don't!" I sobbed, still stuck in the same place, locked in that trance that I couldn't break to save my life, literally. My knees wobbled, and for a horrible second, I thought they'd lock and I'd be done for.

"You came into MY QUARTERS!" he bellowed, anger coming off in waves. Shaking my head viciously, I tried to mouth no, but nothing was working. I was going to die. "You have TRESPASSED on me!"

"I'm s-sorry! I'm so sorry!" I begged, and it was like a switch had gone off. Vincent blinked, his face showing signs of disorientation for a second. He gripped at his head with those long claws, and I hoped to Leviathan that he was having an inner-battle with whatever evil thing had possessed him, and I hoped he was winning.

"I'm sorry," I repeated, and never had I meant something more than that. I really was sorry that I'd ever stepped foot in that room, sorry that I'd ever stepped foot in that mansion, even sorry that I'd ever left Wutai.

I wanted to go home and marry that man that I first called a monster. I never knew a true monster until now.

"Lu-Lucrecia," Vincent murmured, doubling over. His face twisted into an agonized expression, and his eyes still had that glassy, not-all-there look to them. In his eyes was a heartbroken, inconsolable expression that cut me to my core like nothing else, making it hard for me to breathe. He reached out and gently caressed my cheek, his bony, leathery fingers cold to the touch against my heated skin. I resisted recoiling from him, knowing that might set him off. "Why did you do this to me? How could you, Lucrecia? Why, why did you hurt me this way?"

Desperately, I demurred, "But, I'm not Lucrecia! My name's Yuffie, remember? I'm Yuffie! Please, I'm Yuffie!"

His eyes snapped back to red, and he drew back from me as though he'd been slapped. His pained, hurt expression mutated back into that hateful scowl as he snarled, "Get out!"

Not needing to be told twice, I shoved him away from me and took off at a sprint, nearly twisting my ankle as I barreled through the door, desperate to be as far from the hellish fiend as possible. I fell into a panicked heap outside the room, my hands outstretched to catch myself. Cursing myself inside my head for being weak, I glanced back at the door, praying Vincent would not come after me.

Against my will, my arms shook and I struggled to hurriedly pick myself back up, vision blurred with the fear-induced tears that had gathered in my eyes and just begun to slip off my lashes.

A soft hand grasped my forearm, and another one was placed gently against my back. Horrified, I thought it was Vincent, but a quietly concerned feminine voice proved me wrong.

"Please stand up, Miss Kisaragi. Let me take you to your room." Shelke gingerly assisted me off of the ground, her lips turning down at the sight of me. I must have looked awful, scared spitless, shivering, and a sobbing wreck. She brushed her hand against my wrist, holding it up to examine the deep brown and purple mark that encased it. Vincent must have grabbed me and left a bruise, but in my shock and terror, I hadn't noticed.

Sympathetically, the servant woman wrapped an arm around my waist and led me away from the East wing and over to the West, stopping in front of my door. Pushing it open, she ushered me in and took me towards the bathroom. With tired, worried eyes, she sat me down on the seat of the toilet and sat about grabbing for rags.

Not meeting my eyes, she whispered, "Yuffie, I apologize for what the master has done." A shaky breath escaped her, and she finally turned to look at me, raising a damp, cold rag to my face and rubbing gently at the salty tear trails on my cheeks. I hadn't ever heard or seen this much emotion from her, even though I'd only known her for two days. It definitely seemed out of character, but sincere nonetheless.

"It's not your fault," I sighed, allowing her to take a strip of cloth and wrap it around my wrist. We both knew it wouldn't do anything to fix the bruise, but it didn't stop her. Somehow, I knew she did it for Vincent's benefit, as though she didn't want him to see what he'd done to me. Or maybe, she did it so he _would_ see.

With a shake of her head, she answered, "I told you he wished to speak with you. I — I should have taken you to him! I should have known you'd assume he was in his chamber!" Her voice had become slightly hysterical, and immediately I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"It's fine, Shelke. I'm alright. Shaken up, but alright." The look in her eyes told me that I had come close to being the opposite of that, and the thought sent a shiver down my spine.

Shelke sat beside me on the edge of the tub, smoothing her uniform down. Her auburn hair swayed as she shook her head again. "You deserve to know. After what happened… After what he did to you... You have a right."

It was what I wanted, to find out all those dirty secrets and skeletons in the closet of Shinra Manor. But now, I really didn't care to know the details.

"Save the story for another day," I whispered. She nodded knowingly.

* * *

**Hmm... Vince has a bit of a temper when it comes to Lucy, doesn't he? How will he patch things up with Yuffs? **

**Please drop a review, peeps! Thanks for reading ^-^**


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